1. Daily toothbrushing
Brushing your dog’s teeth daily with a pet toothbrush and a pet friendly toothpaste is the best practice for preventing dental disease (we brush our teeth twice daily!). If your dog is new to brushing, then start slowly, let them lick the tasty toothpaste and get used to the idea with short sessions followed by lots of praise!
2. Veterinary dental diets for dogs
Feeding veterinary or prescription dental diets is one of the best ways you can look after your pet’s teeth. These diets are clinically proven to reduce plaque build-up and gingivitis by mechanically scrubbing the teeth as your dog chews. Dental diets are a suitable maintenance dry food for most healthy adult dogs.
3. Dog dental chews
While they come in a huge range of shapes and sizes, dog dental chews generally work by scraping against the tooth to mechanically remove plaque. If your dog chows down on the treat quickly, then there won’t be much dental benefit. For power chewers, try some of our long-lasting chew options.
4. Water additives for dogs
While they won’t remove tartar and plaque, water additives are a simple, low maintenance way to help freshen your dog’s breath and can even help to slow the growth of bacteria in the mouth (and the onset of dental disease). Water containing a pet dental additive needs to be changed daily to maintain the effectiveness of the solution.
5. Dental dog toys
Regular chewing on specially designed dental toys works almost like us flossing our teeth! Chewing on these toys can help to mechanically remove plaque from the surface of your dog’s teeth to prevent staining and tartar build up. There are a range of toys available for dogs of different sizes and ages, so be sure to read the description and select the right one.
